Helvetic (Swiss) MAN-ZRH

[perkin]

Anyone used the above service? I want to book some flights to ZRH with my BMI miles and only class available is biz class - will the same level of service be available on Helvetic as on Swiss operated a/c, as you'd get from LCY or LHR? I noticed the F100 seems to be operated by Helvetic in single class config and I'm wondering if I'd get more for my miles by flying from LCY or LHR in the real Swiss...

Any comments would be appreciated, cheers

[raffele]

My mate flies with them every couple weeks. I believe the service is now Swiss rather than Helvetic, and the service is top notch, with no complaint in the several years he's flown the route.

Hope this helps!

[perkin]

Thanks for that - it is still Helvetic as I saw one of their a/c at MAN on Monday morning - any further info would be appreciated though, if I'm booking biz class, I was value for my miles!!

[Suzeman]

Better check the aircraft type on the Swiss website -it is a mix of FK100 and A319/320 over this weekend for example but then it is a bank holiday and half term. After you have put your dates in, click on the flight number and it will tell you what type is operating any particular flight.

It has been an A319/320 most of this year so far, the FK100s have only started appearing in the last few weeks.

Suzeman

[AircraftOperations]

ContactAir (German) also provide a F100 aircraft for Swiss on occasions, though I don't know if it serves MAN at all. They are part of the LH family, and I don't know if their config and service differs from those mentioned above.

[perkin]

Thanks to all for your assistance! Both flights that I need are showing as F100 - anyone know if the biz class service with Helvetic will be the same as the Swiss airbus fleet? Are Helvetic a generally decent airline? I'm not keen to spend the extra miles on biz if the service isnt up to scratch...

[Mark Lewis]

There is no Business Class service on this route when the Fokker 100 is used on it. There is no cabin divider, the seats are slightly worse than in economy class (because of almost guaranteed likelihood you will be sat at the reduced legroom bulkhead) and the meal will be an equally inedible sandwich as in economy.

A very very poor use of miles.

[perkin]

Thanks Mark, this is what I had suspected based on cabin photo's of the Helvetic F100's - extremely mis-leading marketing by Swiss and unfortunately there are no economy seats available via BMI on the dates I want, so may well fly from LHR or LCY (or even KL via AMS) to ensure decent service - the economy fares from MAN are truly extortionate (about twice the price of LHR or LCY - nothing like abusing your monopoly) unless you buy with miles...thanks to all for responses thus far

[dubh12000]

As said, there is no cabin divider and the seat pitch is the same. That said there is more leg room on the F100 than on the 320.

[perkin]

Thanks for the replies...I've booked LCY-ZRH-LHR as its just as easy for me to travel in to/out of London. Paid for the tickets as 2 econ tickets are the same price as a single econ fare from MAN or 2 x biz with miles+cash, so will spend my miles on something else!

[mini-jumbo]

and the meal will be an equally inedible sandwich as in economy.

Not true. The meal will be a business meal. However the rest about no divider and the same seats is correct.